Cycling around Watou

1. Appointment at Watouplein (V) in Watou. You leave in the direction of Steenvoorde. Leave the moody square on the right and cycle straight ahead at the junction with the Trappistenweg to Abele. Turn right onto the first road onto Warandastraat. You cycle past the end of the agglomeration sign of Watou and follow the Frontierenroute between two canals. Turn right on the T. Turn left, cycle past the access road to the Eybeekhoeve and don't care about side roads. On the T, where the Frontierenroute turns right, turn left. A little further on you cycle into France. At the end of the road turn right and take past a farm, at a stake chapel, the first road on the left. You can let yourself be guided by white signs with a green cyclist on them. In the distance you can see the hills of the Heuvelland. You wind through the open landscape to the D168, the route de Watou. Turn right and then left into chemin du Laboureur. Don't worry about side roads.

On the border
Where the green and white cycle route turns left, you bend with the road to the right. Then take the first road on the left. This is the Ackaert Dreve, but you only notice that at the end of the road. Follow the road where you end up to the right. You are now literally bolting on the Belgian-French border. At the intersection with the N38 you will see the old border post on the left. Cycle straight into France and follow the route des Callicanes until you can turn left into the chemin de Keyselaere. In the distance you can already see the Mont des Cats with the abbey on it. At the end of the road, turn right.
Ignore the chemin du Vlienderbonde on the left and continue cycling until you reach a mandatory stop. Continue straight on to the church of Godewaersvelde. Turn right and immediately left into rue de l'Abbaye. Now you start the ascent of the Mont des Cats. Beyond a field chapel, the climb becomes steeper. You come to a different road and follow it to the left. Continue along the abbey wall to the Auberge du Mont des Cats, where you can meet a 'new' Trappist from the abbey across the street.

About the Mont des Cats
Leave the road to Berthen and cycle past the entrance of the Abbaye des Monts des Cats ? . Follow the abbey wall and start the descent of the Mont des Cats from an 1849 house. It goes down sharply and at the intersection with the mirror you choose straight ahead for the ruelle du Buisson. This will take you to the chemin du Rossignol, which you follow to the left. Ignore the chemin de la Confiscation on the right and enjoy the panorama. Don't worry about side roads until you can turn left into rue de Godewaersvelde. The road becomes hollow for a while and then you can enjoy beautiful views again. At the crossroads, at the end of the rue de Godewaersvelde, you will see the church of Berthen on the left.
Cross and continue through the chemin de l'Hazewinde. You cycle past the Etang du Château, where you can fish trout. In the distance you can see the Mont Noir. Take the first road on the left, direction camping Les Houblonnières. At the next fork turn right before the campsite and Auberge 't Hommelhof. You cycle straight ahead and climb the Mont Kokeleer. On the left you get a nice view of the church of Berthen. It continues along the edge of the forest and a triangular chapel to a T. Here you turn right. At the corner house in 't Vossenhol, ignore the road to Boëschèpe and the Auberge du Vert Mont on the left and then take the first road on the right, rue du Mont Noir, towards Mont Noir. Then turn left onto the first road. There is a bunker in the field. Take the first road on the left, rue de Pudefort. At the intersection with unpaved roads in front and right of your bend, take the narrow asphalt road to the left and continue cycling past a farm to the T. Turn left and then right into the Kouckestraat. After a short climb you can once again enjoy a beautiful 360° panorama.

Along Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery
Don't worry about side roads and continue cycling to the T. Turn right onto Petit chemin de Poperinge, turn left and take right at the fork. Ignore all the side roads and cycle past a few farms to the first quadrangle. On the corner is a chapel. Turn right, direction junction 1
Ignore eendepoelstraat on the left and turn left at junction 11 into Paardeblikstraat, direction 88. You cycle through a grove and wave and meander further through the open landscape. At the end of the road turn right and on the T at bistro De Hertog turn left. Where the Poperingestraat bends to the right, at 't Hof van Brabant, you take the Lenestraat diagonally left. It continues undulating through the open landscape to the intersection with junction 88 at Estaminet In de Leene. Turn left, direction 87. You now cycle towards Boeschepe on the Boeschepseweg. On the right in the background you can see hop fields. You cycle past the British Lijssenthoek Cemetery?, with free visitor center, ignore all side roads and turn at the intersection with 'Den Grooten Onzen Here' ? and junction 87 turn right, direction 84. You cycle a bit on the border again and turn right at the obligatory stop between a chapel and a house from 1890. Follow the D10 to the right and cross the busy D948. On the other side, continue cycling through the Abelestationstraat, cross the Vleterbeek and cycle to the center of Abele. At the intersection with the Kommiezenkot and the Customs Museum you continue cycling on the Trappistenweg.

Through the Helleketelbos
You follow it until you can turn right into the Stoppelweg, direction Helleketelbos. You turn left, leave the road on the right to 't Sparhof on the right and cycle straight into the Helleketelbos. When you come out of the forest, you are at junction 84. Turn right and 100 m further you are at junction 85. From here you have a nice view of the witch or fairy house ? in the meadow. Continue your way, towards 78. In the first bend is Gallery De Katteman (1773) ? , where you can go for a nap and a dry. On the other side of the road is the highest point of Poperingen, the Pheasant Hill at 62 m altitude. After the bend you wave and meander through the open landscape with farms and chapels. Cross the Watou - Sint-Jan-ter-Biezen road, don't worry about side roads and continue cycling to junction 78. Continue straight ahead, direction 65. At the intersection with the priority road, make a left-right nod and cycle next to a white-blue chapel through the Blokstraat to junction 65. Turn left, direction At the first intersection straight ahead. On the second you are at junction 1 and turn left, towards 76. You now cycle more than two km over the Moenaardestraat to junction 76 in Watou. Another 300 m straight ahead you will come back to the Watouplein.